Hero Elisjsha Dicken stopped Indiana mall gunman in 15 seconds, not two minutes, police say

It turns out Elisjsha Dicken didn’t need two minutes to take out the mass shooter terrorizing shoppers at a mall in Greenwood, Indiana.

Greenwood Police Chief James Ison released a corrected statement Tuesday saying that it took only 15 seconds for Mr. Dicken to fire his first shot hitting the gunman during the deadly Sunday attack at the Greenwood Park Mall.

“I would like to make a correction on a statement made yesterday at the 2 p.m. press conference [Monday] concerning the Greenwood Park Mall shooting,” Chief Ison said. “There was an error in the timeline of events given. The time lapse between the moment that Jonathan Sapirman exited the restroom and began shooting, and when he was shot by the civilian (Elisjsha Dicken) was only fifteen seconds, not two minutes.”

Chief Ison initially told reporters that the suspect opened fire at 5:56 p.m. and that Mr. Dicken confronted him at 5:57 p.m., less than two minutes later.

“The surveillance video shows Sapirman exited the restroom at 5:56:48 p.m. He was neutralized by Dicken at 5:57:03 p.m,” Chief Ison said in his statement. “This error was simply a result of misreading notes during the conference. I feel the need to correct this immediately. Thank you.”

The 22-year-old Dicken, a resident of Seymour, Indiana, has been hailed as a hero for his quick thinking, accurate shooting and cool head under pressure in neutralizing the suspect, who was pronounced dead later Sunday at the scene.

Mr. Dicken was about 40 yards away when he fired his first shot. Eight of his 10 shots hit the suspect.

Police said Mr. Dicken did not appear to have a permit to carry his 9mm Glock pistol, but he was legally within his rights under Indiana’s constitutional carry law, which went into effect July 1.

22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken neutralized the Greenwood Park Mall shooter within 15 seconds, from 40-50 yards away, hitting the bad guy with 8 of the 10 rounds he fired. His grandfather taught him how to shoot.

Raise a glass this evening to American hero Elisjsha Dicken. pic.twitter.com/cuczbGsDem

— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) July 20, 2022

Mr. Dicken, who was shopping with his girlfriend when the attack occurred, had no police or military training but learned to shoot from his grandfather.

The 20-year-old suspect spent an hour and two minutes in the mall restroom near the food court before emerging and opening fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing three people.

Those killed in the attack were Victor Gomez, 30, of Indianapolis; Pedro Pineda, 56, and his wife Rosa Mirian Rivera de Pineda, 37, both of Indianapolis.

Mr. Dicken has not spoken publicly since the attack out of respect for the victims, but Indianapolis attorney Guy A. Relford released a statement to local news outlets on his client’s behalf.

“I am proud to serve as Eli Dicken’s attorney and spokesperson,” Mr. Relford said. “He is a true American hero who saved countless lives during a horrific event that could have been so much worse if not for Eli’s courage, preparedness and willingness to protect others. Because we want to respect the ongoing criminal investigation by the Greenwood Police Department and take time to honor the three innocent lives lost, we won’t be making any substantive comments on Sunday’s events until after the authorities’ investigation is closed. In the interim, we ask that you respect the privacy of Eli and his family.”

Police have said the suspect’s motive is unknown, but that he quit his job at a warehouse two months ago and may have been facing eviction from his apartment about a mile from the mall in the south Indianapolis suburb.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb released a statement remembering the victims and praising Mr. Dicken for stopping the attack.

“I join all Hoosiers in being grateful for the quick, heroic actions taken by an individual citizen and first responders on Sunday evening in Greenwood, surely preventing further loss of life and injuries,” Mr. Holcomb said. “I stand with the community in grieving the loss of lives, and my thoughts are also with the many people impacted by this traumatic incident, including innocent bystanders whose lives are forever changed.”